Sierra grad on Billboard Hot Dance Airplay Chart

Photo contributed
Devin Star Tailes

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Sometimes you end up in the same place in an entirely different situation.

When she was just a sophomore at Sierra High, Devin Star Tailes took the trip to the popular all-ages club Slim’s in San Francisco with friends to take in a show and loved the live atmosphere of the venue provided.

By sticking with the choir she was a part of and keeping both her interest and dedication in music sharp, Devin – who takes on the artist name Dev – learned exactly what can happen when you refuse to give up.

Ironically it would be a few songs she posted on MySpace that launched what has quickly become a promising career.

After the Berkeley-based duo The Cataracs stumbled across her self-made tracks, they contacted her and planted the seeds for what would eventually blossom into a track off of the group’s album – 2nite off of Songs We Sing in the Shower – that this week hit No. 24 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay Chart.

“It’s really something that has been completely surreal ever since it first began,” said Dev – who grew up in the Central Valley but makes her home in Los Angeles. “ The odds of somebody finding those songs on I put on MySpace were slim enough, but to collaborate on something that is now on the Billboard charts is just crazy.”

However, the learning curve for the former Delta College swimmer who wanted to be a teacher was steep when it came time to step into the studio – having to learn all of standard operating procedures as well as how everything comes together for a track.A few brief tours along the West Coast would eventually land Dev performing on the very stage that she was once a spectator at – describing the feeling as “strange” and “almost not real.”

But being out in front of those who are feeling the music, she says, overshadows any butterflies.

“Getting out there and playing for all of the people who support me and seeing those in the crowd that are into the music is what makes playing shows special,” she said. “Being out in front of people is still crazy to me – it’s so crazy to think that it’s me that’s the one out there singing – but it’s also really cool.”

Currently Dev backs The Cataracts on 2nite, which has become the most recognized song that the Berkeley duo has ever put out. While a West Coast tour is currently shaping up, Dev is also hoping to end up traveling over to Europe with The Cataracs and The Pack – Jive Records artists that just released a new album of their own.

“Every day for me right now is perfect because these are all things that I never expected that I’d be doing,” Dev said. “You get out there to play music because you love what you do and to see people who really care about what you’re putting in feels really good.